Auto Dealers And Fake Foreclosure Relief Offers Top Consumer Complaints For Last Year

The 2009 Consumer Complaint Survey Report is out, and it says that among the 18 states that participated in the survey, complaints about auto dealers topped the list for the second year in a row. However, the fastest-growing category of complaints were about fake foreclosure relief offers.

The study, which is put together by three consumer advocacy groups (see below), says that more than half of the agencies that responded said that complaints have gone up since 2008, to about 300,000. At the same time, they’re having to deal with the increased complaints with fewer resources: 71% of those agencies said they experienced budget cuts last year.

From the report:

Top Ten Complaints in 2009

Following are the top complaint categories that most frequently appeared in the agencies’ top ten lists. Their ranking in the top ten in 2008 is noted in parenthesis.

1. Auto: (1) Misrepresentations in advertising or sales of new and used cars; lemons; faulty repairs; leasing and towing disputes